An Eternal Puppet
by StarXMarr
Summary: Bill Cipher possesses Dipper's body in a deal gone awry. If only someone could have gotten the demon out. Maybe then, things would have ended happily. (Set during the events of 'Sock Opera'. Spoilers within.)
1. Chapter 1

The day a reluctant Dipper Pines made a hasty deal with the triangular dream demon was the day the young boy died.

Don't worry, he was still alive in a way, and so was his body. But still, things evolved into a horrible situation, and, in a way, it's slightly difficult to explain exactly what happened. You see, Bill Cipher, the demon whom has been spoken of previously, offered Dipper a chance to unravel all the secrets almost torturing the twelve year old by giving him the eight character password to a laptop the boy had found, one that had previously been owned by the mysterious author that had written the journal now belonging to the child as well, containing information about various conspiracies and monsters hidden throughout Gravity Falls, the sleepy little town he currently resided in with his uncle and sister. Dipper knew the computer would be a key component of finding out everything there was to know about the mysterious place he so craved to uncover, desperate to know what was really going on in an area where everyone denied every piece of evidence strange things were in fact going on, but he was held back by only the password that denied him entrance to the facts and information he needed.

Of course, Bill knew exactly what the password was, as he was a being with knowledge of practically everything, specifically an expert on things to do with the town Dipper was interested in. It was a crucial place to what he knew would eventually happen in time, but all the mysteries would have to never be uncloaked by anyone for such a timeline to happen. With that said, it should simply be stated that the young Pines child was in his way. So the triangular demon visited Gravity Falls with a specific reason- to make a deal with the person getting the most in his way.

And you probably know by now that it had to have been accepted. Bill twisted his words so that it sounded like he only wanted a small puppet Mabel, Dipper's sister, had been working on in exchange for the various eight letters and numbers the boy needed to crack the case of everything mysterious and unexplainable. At first, he actually did turn the offer down, remembering that only a month or so ago he had needed to literally enter his uncle's mindscape to drive out the same paranormal being now trying to possibly be kind to him, but after careful persuasion from Cipher, whom reminded him that his twin sister had never done anything in return for him, and with the fact that the laptop was actually set to erase its data at any given second, the deal went through, and he was then allowed to get his 'puppet'.

What Dipper didn't know was that by puppet, he had meant his body.

Before he could really say much else save for asking which puppet Cipher would pick, as there were many puppets available to choose from, Bill had responded simply.

"Hmm, let's see...eenie, meenie, minie, you."

Without another word, he ripped the soul right out of Dipper's physical being, going in himself and possessing it.

There you have it- the confusing and almost disturbing story of how the youthful, conspiracy-believing Dipper Pines became a practically nonexistent being, and how his body became controlled by a demonic lunatic.

But the story doesn't end there. There's still so much more to tell.

After Dipper's physical self was taken over, Bill destroyed the laptop and was about to do the same to the boy's precious journal when the Pines family headed to a local theatre to see a rather elaborate puppet show being put on by Mabel, with Bill-Dipper(or as Mabel would later call him, 'Bipper') coming along, realizing the book he was looking for was being used as a prop in the show. The ghost of the real family member was soon left behind, since nobody could see or hear him besides the very thing that took him over. In fact, the car everyone had gotten into passed right through him, leaving him to begin to fear beyond belief what was going to happen.

It wasn't very long before they all arrived, the ghost of what was once the kid now sitting in the front row of the theatre trailing behind, and the possessed, so-called puppet seized the opportunity to ask his 'beloved' sister for the last-minute role of the reverend as soon as he learned that the journal would be used as a prop for a wedding scene within the show. Excitedly, she accepted his offer, and the show began.

Most of you know as well what happened here, but let me stop you right there. I must tell you, warn you, before you read on, things went very differently than what has been told before.

These next moments are where everything changed.


	2. Chapter 2

In truth, the first part of the show went perfectly. Gabe, a certain puppet-loving young man who had inspired the production and was the current object of Mabel's affections, was quite impressed with how things were turning out, much to the girl's excitement. Bill's plan was about to fall into place at a later time, though he had inquired about the journal's precise location earlier, and Dipper was unable to think of a way to get through to his sister or anyone else he could warn about what he knew was about to happen, panic and extreme fear growing inside him with each passing second and with every failed attempt to contact anyone.

But once the act that had progressed and things were about to end for the planned intermission, things began to change, taking a turn for the worse.

After trying to talk with Grenda(one of Mabel's best friends who had been working offstage),asking about his twin's whereabouts and, of course, failing, the adolescent stopped, finally getting a partial idea as he tried to remember something Bill had told him earlier that he hadn't truly realized until now, the words eventually ringing fresh in his innovative mind.

"What did Bill say? I can't be heard without a vessel…?" He questioned himself, though it certainly didn't take long to get an idea once he looked over to where a box of currently unused puppets lay on the floor in the darkness offstage. Though it might not be the best way to get through to people, at least it would most likely work in that his sister would finally be able to hear everything he had been frantically trying to tell her about.

Before he could reach out and possess one himself, he was stopped cold by a now chilling, familiar voice coming from behind him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Pine Tree."

Dipper's eyes widened in fear as he heard Bill, still in his body but now dressed for his upcoming scene, walking up to the box and turning to face the phantom only he could hear and see. He had been impatiently been waiting for the moment things would start to become eventful, and now, he had come across none other than the person who knew of his plans, who looked to be trying to get a way to communicate his knowledge to everyone else, specifically his sister, the one the demon referred to as 'Shooting Star'.

"I mean, if you really went through and took your own puppet, you might be able to get someone to try to stop me, and that might cause someone else to ruin the show or, I dunno, maybe get hurt. You wouldn't want that, now, would you, kid?"

"Look, I'm not scared of you, Bill-" Dipper started, trying as he spoke to actually gather his courage and think of a new plan, whether it be still going through with possessing a puppet and stopping the monster from whatever he had in mind as well as getting the book, or giving into what he had just been told and refraining from his plan, though the last time he listened to who was now himself in a way, the result was his current situation.

"I think we both know you are. But no worries! It's pretty intimidating to see someone in your own body, huh?" The dream-like creature almost mocked, though it was also due to his general nature that never took anything seriously, save for important plans being intercepted. He then shifted his stance so that he was directly in front of the box the boy was after, about to take action and ruin any chances of getting put to a stop, reaching into the pocket of the formal coat he was currently wearing while his current enemy stared in slight confusion and poorly masked fear.

But soon enough, intermission was upon everyone both seeing the show and working on it, and the moment the stage curtains closed, all the crew, including Mabel herself, made their way past the two to either disperse in various areas backstage or head to the dressing rooms, though there were no real actors who needed to change their own clothing.

"C'mon, Dipper! It's intermission!" Mabel cheered as she ran past what she thought was her brother, giggling to herself at what a success she had made and how proud Gabe was going to be.

Cipher looked directly at the invisible child, grinning wickedly while his eyes blinked one at a time, a habit originating from his normal, one-eyed form.

"Coming, Sister!" He called out afterward, flashing a mortified Dipper another smirk before following the rest of the crew so he could fit in, though he would soon exit to retrieve what everyone else thought was just his prop.

While he made his way into the crowd, a worn but excited Mabel made her to her assigned quarters, wiping her brow and prepping herself for the next act to come whilst the ghost of her brother was now searching for another solution to his problem, fright even stronger now that he had basically been threatened. Maybe, while Bill wasn't there, he could go through with his original idea. But if he was found out, everything could fall apart, and he didn't want his sibling to suffer from his own mistake...

"You can do this, Mabel. Only thirty-six more musical numbers to go." The slightly older twin breathed to herself, prepping for the long act ahead before stepping over to the nearby water fountain in the room and taking a drink, stopping when her romantic interest entered the room.

"Mabel, do you have a moment?" He asked in his calm, strong voice that she so adored.

Blushing a little at his presence and question, she nodded, though she knew soon she would have to return to the stage since the break was very slight.

"It's clear to me now you _really _love puppets. I mean, you went whole hog. So I was thinking, if you stick the ending, maybe later you could join me for a biscotti?"

While their short conversation was going on, the director's troubled brother had decided to go against the warnings, grabbing a puppet of himself from one of the spare boxes and heading to the few rooms that he knew she was in.

Once he went to go through the door, being the specter he was, Mabel passed right through him, not seeing the tiny puppet floating above her, smiling as she returned to her place on stage.

"No, wait!" He yelled, desperate for some miracle at the moment. The show couldn't be starting yet. He couldn't lose.

Naturally, there was no such miracle, and nobody could hear his repetitive cries.


	3. Chapter 3

**_(A/N: I feel as if this chapter is too similar to other Sock Opera stories, so please let me know what you think. If I should change it to be more original, I'd gladly love to know, and suggestions would be much appreciated! Thank you.)_**

Time seemed to fly once things began to head downhill-though, for the one bent on getting his hands on the book that was currently waiting to be lowered to the stage, as the show had finally reached the act it appeared in, things couldn't be better. As long as he was staying back, waiting for his fake role, the real soul of the pre-teen's body was low on hope, almost to a point where he felt like giving up, and nobody knew he was about to destroy the book- and the Shooting Star's precious little play. His only worry was that once he went up to the hollow wedding cake, the set piece that held the secret-filled journal, the juvenile working to fight against his current goal would rush to exploit him, which was exactly what the still fearful Dipper was planning to do.

As soon as it was time for his appearance, Bill made his way up to the suspended cake instead of heading onstage, reaching in to grab it and turning to see below that Dipper was interfering, hastily moving to Mabel behind the numerous pieces of the set with yet another puppet, hidden from the audience, just as he had thought. He had given him a warning, and was going to make sure that neither of the twins would be ever able to get in his way again. After all, he had told both of them in the past that everything they love would change, and seeing from the way they treated each other during their last encounter with him in the mindscape, they obviously treasured each other, a sickening thought to the practically heartless triangulum.

"Mabel! Psst! There's not much time." Dipper whispered frantically, knowing that if he shouted it would ruin all the hard work she put into the show.

Mabel, crouching under the set with her invisible brother, looked over in his direction, confused, though she continued with her puppets' lines, unintentional question in her voice, thinking at first she was hearing something with all the things on her mind at that moment.

While this was going on, and before anything else could be said, Bill tucked the book of such necessity under his arm, at first staring at it almost longingly, recognizing the familiar cover. After a moment, he returned to looking at his normal field of vision(which was a bit different now, seeing as how he had only one eye previously) and recognized how much destruction the hanging cake in front of him could bring to the two he so desired to harm right then, though without their unintentional help he wouldn't have succeeded this much, he reached yet again for the object he needed inside his long, black coat, taking out a dull yet silver lighter and deciding to burn both the item he needed and the entire set immediately, setting fire to the rope holding up the wooden prop, which in no time came crashing down onto the middle of the stage, the male twin just barely catching what was happening in the middle of trying to get his sister to understand everything going on.

"Look, I accepted a stupid deal from Bill, and now-MABEL!"

He dove, forgetting he wasn't human anymore, and tried to push her out of harm's way, but being the entity he was, he couldn't save his sister from being harmed.

This was exactly what Bill had planned; no matter how much he'd love to see the Pine Tree physically hurt, getting his sister hurt in the way he cherished would bring much more despair to him, and stop him from having any more hope. Besides, he would almost be dead anyway, what with not having a body. And if what he thought was crucial to happening were true, Dipper-and possibly his parents- were the only parts of the Pines family that would be able to live. Stanford's brother had already been checked off the list years ago, and now he was so close to killing the rest, but it bothered him he practically couldn't fully hurt the boy. After pausing briefly, Cipher composed himself, smiling that wicked grin he seemed to have, knowing it was imperative the just barely younger one out of the two siblings live. If that's the way things had to go, then so be it.

"Mabel…? Please be okay…" Dipper said weakly forgetting about his very brief vision of Bill above them to rush immediately to his unconscious sister, his hand puppet nowhere near him now that everything had went flying, and the stage was very slowly spreading fire. There was nothing that he could do except watch as some evacuated and most stayed to help get the young girl that never fully realized the darkness that had been going on during her own production to a hospital of some sort and away from the burning flames, carefully avoiding the fire themselves as her great uncle made the phone call.

"Sorry, kid, but this is what has to happen!" Bill quietly cackled, stopping and putting up a façade of false concern as he sneaked back into the crowd and out of the theatre with everyone, leaving with the family once the ambulance pulled up.

The spirit of the injured child's closest friend and family member was left behind, unnoticed, though he tried his best to keep up with the vehicle that held almost everyone he loved, all of them broken, as well as the demon he absolutely despised now.

"I'm so sorry, Mabel. It's all my fault." He choked out quietly as he tried to keep up, realizing all of this was his fault because he was stupid enough to accept a deal with someone so twisted.

Stupid enough to let that someone make him think that it was fine to take something of his sister's.

"_Besides, what's she done for you anyway?" _the words that he guiltily still believed to be true rang repeatedly in his mind, and he felt nothing but regret. Though he knew he frequently gave up things of his own for her, and she really never did do anything to repay him, he knew that she would do anything for him if he absolutely needed to, no matter what.

And now, she could be dead -all because of him.


	4. Chapter 4

**UPDATE: **I'm sorry I haven't updated this in almost a month! I've focused on other things for the past few weeks and have also been busy. But I'm currently writing the next chapter, so don't worry or abandon this story yet. I'll have the next part up soon! Just wanted to let all of you know this story wasn't dead.

While I'm writing it, here's a preview of the next chapter:

_Dipper was in complete horror, shock, and sorrow as he hovered beside the wide bed containing his beloved but currently hospitalized sister, whom was still yet to be treated. The outcome of her health was uncertain at this time, being that she had just been brought in, and though he hated to be a pessimist, with everything that had just happened, he wasn't looking on the bright side in the least, even more so since he knew this was all because of him._

_The few others who were in the room, save for a falsely distraught Bill, who was honestly overjoyed with how things were working out, could not see the real spirit of the patient's brother, as he was still a ghost invisible to the world, trapped in the mindscape. Once the guests left, Bill slowly trailing behind them, he looked up at Dipper with the huge yet wicked grin he seemed to love showing in his new body before finally catching up to the others that had now left._


End file.
